Nerve damage can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms, such as shooting pain, tingling, and numbness. At Spine Correction Center of the Rockies in Fort Collins, Colorado, our pain management providers offer nerve blocks to prevent damaged nerves from signaling pain. If you’re experiencing neuropathic pain, nerve blocks may be a viable treatment option for you. Here’s everything you need to know about nerve blocks:
What are nerve blocks?
Nerve blocks are injectable medications that target pain stemming from specific nerves. Depending on the location of the affected nerve, the injection from our pain management specialists may numb the area surrounding the nerve or prevent it from sending pain signals. Some nerve blocks offer temporary relief, while others provide more long-lasting effects.
What are the different types of nerve blocks?
We use several types of nerve blocks to treat chronic pain at Spine Correction Center of the Rockies. These include:
- Cervical epidural (neck, shoulders, arms, and upper back)
- Lumbar epidural block (lower back and legs)
- Thoracic epidural (mid and upper back)
- Cervical plexus block (neck and head)
- Brachial plexus block (neck, collarbone, and upper arm)
- Elbow block
- Cervical paravertebral block (shoulder and upper neck)
- Wrist block (wrist, hand, arm, and shoulder)
- Subarachnoid block (abdomen, hips, legs, and pelvis)
- Intercostal nerve block (post-shingles chest pain)
- Sphenopalatine ganglion block (headaches and migraines)
Depending on your area of pain, our physicians may recommend one nerve block or multiple treatments to alleviate your discomfort.
What conditions can nerve blocks treat?
Nerve blocks are an effective treatment for a wide range of neuropathic pain conditions. If you’re struggling to carry out daily activities, such as exercise, work, or school, a nerve block can offer enough pain relief to function in your day-to-day life. Nerve blocks work best when combined with a comprehensive physical therapy and rehabilitation plan. When paired with a comprehensive treatment plan, nerve blocks can help relieve pain from conditions such as:
- Arthritis: a chronic condition that leads to inflammation around the joints. While osteoarthritis develops from cartilage damage, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition.
- Headaches and migraines: cause persistent pain and tension in the head that can radiate down the neck.
- Trigeminal neuralgia: causes severe facial pain due to irritation or compression of the trigeminal nerve that stretches from the brain to the face.
- Herniated disc: when the protective outer shell of the discs between your vertebrae gets damaged, the center can push through and irritate surrounding nerves.
A nerve block can substantially reduce pain from nerve damage or dysfunction. To find out if nerve blocks are right for you, call Spine Correction Center of the Rockies or schedule an appointment online today.